Driving in Cape Verde

Hi everyone, Does anybody have information on driving in Cape Verde? I am planning to visit the capital Praia and would like to know the practicalities of hiring a car or even buying a car?) How expensive is it to buy, lease, hire a decent mid size car?
Also what is the public transport like in Praia?
I am from the UK, and I am really to happy to start researching visiting and retiring to Cape Verde and making lots of friends!

Peter
-@Pete7040

Hi Peter,

For foreigners who are considering relocating or retiring to Cape Verde, driving and transportation are not typically the questions at the top of their list. Lol

To answer your questions:

1. You can drive on a UK license (or any foreign license for that matter) while you are here on a short holiday.

2. If you plan on living here permanently, you will need to exchange your foreign license for a Cape Verde license. There's a small fee and you have to take a brief road exam to demonstrate you can drive and that you know the rules of the road.

3. It's expensive to purchase cars here because of the massive import duties involved. Cars are typically twice the cost of what you would expect in the UK. Of course, used cars are cheaper than new cars. The price of a good used car is around €6-10.000 but you have to be very careful if you plan to buy one. My current vehicle is an 2002 Opel Vectra and I paid €6.000 for it one year ago. If you buy a newer model year used car, the price will be at least €10.000.

4. Car rentals are around €40-50 per day. You'll need to put down a security deposit of €500. Car leasing is not a thing here. You either purchase outright or rent by the day. There's nothing in between.

5. Most expats either walk, take a taxi (about €1.50-2.00 per ride), or take the bus (€0.43). Most things are within walking distance. The bus service is very reliable and covers the entire city. A monthly bus pass costs €30.

6. The cost of fuel is currently €1.20 (diesel) and €1.50 (gasoline) per liter.

Hope this helps you. When are you planning on coming to Praia? I could introduce you to a few retirees from the UK, Europe, America, etc.

From what I understand, it costs around €1.000 (single)/€1.500 (couple) per month to live very comfortably in Praia as a retiree. You should definitely talk to the UK retiree when you get here (send me a private message and I can share his Whatsapp number in private with his permission).

Cheers,

Angelo

Thank you for a great detailed response Angelo.  It was very helpful.

I hope to visit during Winter  January / February 2024 and I will certainly contact you again before then.

Regards

Peter

@Pete7040  Hi, I hired several 4x4,s in Boa Vista. I had my UK license and also an international driving licence. I paid an insurance on top of this to safeguard any eventualities. It was very straight forward. The  vehicle was given to me with half a tank of fuel, so naturally you return if half full. I did mention it would be easier to do a full tank of petrol. My UK licence and my passport was the only proof I needed to show, but I also had a rental contract for an apartment as proof in case it was required.